Termination of Authorization of Residency Due to Extended Absence from Spain

Foreign citizens may request an authorization to reside in our country if they fulfil the requirements specified in the immigration regulations. Once granted legal permanent residency, the foreigner must continue to maintain and fulfil further requirements to avoid losing their authorization of residency.

One of the motives for terminating one´s residency card is due to travels outside of Spain for a period exceeding the amount of time specified by the law. Time limit periods are different for EU nationals and non-EU nationals.

If you are an EU national then you may be absent from Spain for a period of up to six months per year if you have been granted an initial temporary authorization of residence in Spain with a validity of five years. If you already possess a long-stay residence card valid for ten years, breaks in residence in Spain may not exceed two years.

On the other hand, non-EU nationals cannot remain outside of Spain for more than six months per year without running the risk of their residency card being terminated. There are exceptions to this rule when dealing with residents who work with NGOs.